Open Door Policy
Office of Autobot City Commander Beyond the finely polished silver doors lies the Office of the Autobot City Commander. Since Metroplex's construction, this office has belonged to Ultra Magnus, although it shows a part of him that he doesn't often reveal to the troops under his command. Dominated by the south and east sides of the spacious office is a curved window, showing Lookout Mountain. The view is breathtaking, no matter the weather outside. Beneath that curved window there is a curved couch and accompanying table, built to accommodate those of Autobot size. The fabric looks to be a warm burgundy leather, although it is particularly stronger than leather. Around the office there are some fine paintings, bookshelves with books and data discs, sorted and filed neatly. And near the door, there is a sturdy white desk, with a chair, computer terminal, and three seats around it, two for Autobots, and one for humans. Although spacious and comforting, it is organised, and official looking, with a prominent Autobot seal on both sides of the door. Ultra Magnus is seated at his desk, a large file in front of him detailing the latest reports on Ayotzinco including a rather large paranoia-esque portion from Red Alert dealing with Decepticon Pigeon spies. With a sigh, he sets the file aside and takes a rater large drink of ener-coffee. It's going to be another long and boring tedious day of filing. Boring? Not hardly...Patches is around, and that generally means things are, at the very least, interesting. The teal femme's head peeks around the corner of the door, rather hoping NOT to see Magnus - sneaking surprises in is much more fun. Even if Magnus was paying attention, he probably wouldn't notice the Autobot Medic peeking around the corner. Another long sip and a sigh is had before he flips through the report and starts making notes on his data-pad sitting on his desk. Pulling back, the head disappears for a moment and Patchwork can almost be heard considering her options before she steps carefully around the corner and begins to tip-toe towards the desk. Yup, that's right, tip toe. She may be big, but the medic can be sneaky when she -really- puts her mind to it. Pouring over the papers, Ultra Magnus sighs and drags another stack upon the table top. Apparently no one else cares enough to keep the Autobot's records in order. It's a shame Perceptor wasn't around right now, he might be tempted to push the work off on him. Out of the corner of his optic, he might see a certain Patchwork sneaking up towards him...? Combat: Ultra Magnus compares his Accuracy to Patchwork's Agility: Success! Well, towards the desk, at any rate. And he might see a hand reaching out from a certain patchwork, fist clenched, towards the corner of said desk. "Patchwork, may I inquire what exactly you're doing sneaking up to my desk?" Ultra Magnus notes, not bothering to take his optics from the reports. Patchwork freezes, and if she could blush, would. She blinks, optics focusing on Magnus as he speaks to her. He is -good-! He didn't even look at her! "Nothing!" she quickly squeaks out, hand pulling back and hiding behind her back. Ultra Magnus rests the file down, allowing his full on apathetic glare to fall upon Patchwork. "Really, nothing?" Pulling another drink from the cup, he sighs. "I wasn't created last cycle you know." Patchwork sighs, her head ducking forward as her shoulders slump slightly. "I just...just wanted to...give you something." she finally finishes, rather lamely considering it's the truth. Her weight shifts, and her toes nudge lightly at the floor beneath her. Ultra Magnus nods, still giving her a rather odd glance. "Yes, that appears so. And what, may I inquire, it is you wanted to give me?" Patchwork sways lightly from left to right before her weight shifts to her other foot, t hen back. "Just...I wanted it to be a surprise, but then you were here, and..." she explains, adding to her explaination for her sneaking. Reluctantly she pulls her hand from behind her back, fingers still curled around something as she extends it towards the desk. "I could still act surprised?" Ultra Magnus offers, another sip from the ener-coffee. His face and optics sort of scrunch up, hitting the bottom of the drink ... where the concoction is the strongest. "It's not the same," Patchwork replies, disappointed that her (albeit poorly planned out) surprise didn't work. When she opens her fingers, she sets a rock on the corner of the desk. It's been painted a bright white colour, with a blue flower, just the same shade as UM's faceplate, on one side, and a red Autobot insignia on the other. "Hrm, I see you conundrum. Perhaps you could try depositing it in my inbox downstairs then?" Magnus notes, until Patchwork sets the rock on the corner of the desk. Reaching out, he cradles the gift affectionately in front of his face, peering oddly at it. "It's great ... it's wonderful ... it's a rock?" "I don't have anything else to paint on." The medic quickly defends her choice of mediums, shoulders hunching slightly. "And it's easier to carry a rock around than a big painting, anyways.>" "Hrm, you have a point there." Magnus offers, setting the rock down on a pile of paperwork. "Oh, it'll make a grand paper weight!" Upon releasing his grip, the rock teeters and totters before rolling off the stack. "I think you need a bigger rock," Patchwork observes as the rock rolls away across the desk. She shifts her weight one last time from foot to foot before she takes a slow step back. "But I didn't meant to interrupt you. I...sorry..." Ultra Magnus shakes his head, "No, it's quite alright. I was looking for a reason to stop working on this primus forsaken stack of paperwork." Raking a bunch of folders together, he sets them in the outbox and leans back in his chair. "Was that all you wanted, to give me a gift ... or was there something else you needed to discuss with me?" "No. Not really. Just that." Patchwork stops her retreat, and grins brightly at the bot behind the desk. Her arms drop to her sides, swinging lightly. "Cause you're busy, and I don't want to add more work to you. We all need breaks though." "Think nothing of it Patchwork." Ultra Magnus replies, pointing to a seat in front of the desk. "Have a seat, take a load off." Rising, the City Commander reaches behind his desk to the ener-bar for a spare glass. "Can I get you something to drink?" THe invitation is enough to have Patches skip the several steps forward and drop into the chair carefully. "Um...you pick. Thanks." she agrees with a bright grin. "And you have too much to do to teach me to be better against the Sweeps and the rest of the Cons when they decide to be bullies and pick on me, and take my armour for prizes." Ultra Magnus pours a glass of ener-drink, nothing too strong for the medic. Placing the glass in front of Patchwork, he "Hrms." and relaxes back in his desk. "That is quite the problem. I could ask Grimlock or another able bodied soldier to show you some manuevers?" he offers, pushing some more files out of the way between the two of them. "You have a preference for an instructor?" Patchwork shakes her head quickly at the suggestion of Grimlock as a tutor. "No, Grimlock...he thinks...he doesn't like that I don't like to fight." she explains quickly, reaching for the ener-drink to sip from it quickly before returning it to the edge of the desk. "Well, I can't quite think of someone who can one, instruct you in combat techiniques and two, like the fact that you don't like to fight." Magnus notes, taking another drink from the ener-coffee. "Perhaps someone who could teach you some evasion tatics?" he offers. "Maybe," Patchwork agrees before she sighs. "I was going to ask Crosshairs, but he's always busy...as is everyone else. And I don't want to make anyone have more work." Ultra Magnus peeeeers at Patchwork. "We're all a family here Patchwork, no need to be coy. If you have a problem in need of a solution, I'm fairly certain that everyone will be willing to help." Patchwork meets Magnus' gaze for a long moment before looking away. "I know we're all family." she agrees with another bob of her head. "But that doesn't mean that I want to go pestering bigger siblings when they have other stuff to do." "Than allow me to. There's nothing that I dislike more..." Magnus notes, picking up another file of the military division, flipping through it non-chalantly. "Than one of our troops not voicing their needs because it /might/ cause someone some work. That's what we're here for!" Ultra Magnus says, "Grimlock, are you available at the moment?" "I -am- voicing it," Patchwork protests, softly though she pauses as she hears the call over the radio. "Please, not Grimlock...! He just yells at me...!" With a wave of his fingers, Ultra Magnus attempts to quiet down the protesting Medic. Patchwork slumps a little in her seat as she does, indeed, quiet down. Grimlock says, "WHUT YOU WANT?" Ultra Magnus says, "Could you come see me in my office, if you have a moment?" Robot T-Rex! arrives! *STOMPASTOMPASTOMP* "You Ultra Magnus lucky me Grimlock not have better stuff to do! What you want?" he asks, not even bothering to sit down. "Make stuff fast. Me Grimlock time am VERY IMPORTANT." That, and he doesn't wanna miss his rasslin™. Patchwork is slumped in one of the chairs in front of Magnus' desk. She barely glances up when Grimlock makes his entrance. Ultra Magnus looks up from Patchwork to glare at the Dinobot Commander who just tromped into his office. However, he did /ask/ Grimlock to come here ... so he can't be awfully too surprised at his demeanor. "Grimlock, I know your time is important. But, it's come to my attention that Patchwork here.." the City Commander notes, waving a hand towards the Autobot Medic while he stands up and steps around the desk. "Is in need of evasion and general combat lessons. Do you have a senior ranking officer that could instruct her?" Robot T-Rex! hms? "Oh yeah. Her Patchwork need be more fighty!" he nodnods at this, and idly looks down at the femme, almost as an afterthought. "Me Grimlock bet him Impactor could do training stuffs. Me Grimlock do some training stuffs too." he nodnods. "...just not right now. Me grimlock busy!" Patchwork lifts her head, straightening a bit, as she looks to Magnus, optics brightening slightly as he asks his question of Grimlock. The medic shifts in her seat, and she peers at Grimlock before he sighs. "Told ya so." she mutters, vaguely in Magnus' direction. "Hrm, I was thinking someone more skilled in evading enemy fire." Ultra Magnus replies, nodding his head as if deep in thought. "As opposed to attracting it." Robot T-Rex! ohs, and scratches at his head. "Uuuuuh. Kay. Maybe, uh...Arialbot guys? Thems is fast? But her not turn into CAR, so...hnn." he shrugs. "Me Grimlock not keep track of who all dodgy and stuff. Me Grimlock only care bout who am TOUGH and GOOD FIGHTER." "Or shooting. I can shoot." Patchwork offers from her spot. Ultra Magnus nods some more, "Yes, I'll ask Silverbolt or one of the other Aerialbots if they can help her in that department." Silently striding around the Dinobot, the gears appear to be in motion. "I'm well aware that you prefer tough able bodied soldiers Grimlock, but I assumed you would have a handle on your entire division." The City Commander looks at Patchwork, "I thought the problem was evasion, not accuracy?" Robot T-Rex! emits an annoyed growl a Ultra Magnus circles around him. "Hnf. Me Grimlock HANDLE things just fine! Septi-cons need be crushed, so me Grimlock CRUSH them." he grunts- and then glances to Patchwork again. "Hnn. Shooty? Go talk to him Crosshairs. Him good at sooty stuff. Maybe him give you new gun! One that turn into little guy or something." "Evasion is good, but...sometimes it doesn't work, and if I'm trying to fix someone in the middle of a fight, sometimes I have to shoot at one of them to give me enough time to manage it." Patchwork explains, softly. "Can't I do both?" Robot T-Rex! hnnms, and nods. "Sure. Talk to BOTH them guys. It not that hard." "Unfortunately, multi-tasking is something you'll have to develop on your own Patchwork. Let's try to handle one problem at a time." Magnus responds, walking around to the desk and taking his seat again. "In the meantime, I'll have the appropriate discussions with the Aerialbots and Crosshairs." Looking up to Grimlock, "That will be all, unless you had some other buisness of note I should be aware of?" Robot T-Rex! shrugs at Ultra Magnus. "Nope! Me Grimlock leaving now." and with that said, the dinocommander wheels about, 'acidentally' swinging his tail around to knock over...well, just about everything on Magnus's desk. "Call me Grimlock when it fighty time!" Patchwork ducks in her chair, quickly, as Grimlock's tail comes flying across Magnus' desk and, naturally, over the chair she occupies in front of it. Ending up on the ground, crouched, Patchwork hrmphs softly at Grim's back before she starts grabbing the few items that fell on the ground near her. Ultra Magnus just remains seated, looking on in what must be tedious annoyance as the random files and trinkets get knocked off the desk. Placing his elbow down and cementing his chin in the palm, he regards Grimlock with an apathetic gaze as he tromps out of the office. "Will do Grimlock." The powder blue Protectobot leader enters as Grimlock leaves, nodding briefly in aknowledgement towards the big Dinobot. big Grims seems to have left a bit of a mess in his wake, but when doesn't he? Hot Spot's bright eyes fall on Ultra Magnus, and the Protectobot stands stiffly 'at ease' in front of his commander. "You had wanted to speak with me, Ultra Magnus?" "Ah yes, indeed I did." Ultra Magnus replies, looking at the light blue Protectobot Leader. His attention is averted towards Patchwork, "I trust that resolves your dilemmia? If there isn't anything else, would you please excuse us?" Magnus stands, walking towards the door to show the femme out, a gracious expression on his face. Patchwork straightens and sets the files and the white rock with its blue flower o nto the desk before she straightens her chair. "Oh. Yes, sorry." she offers quickly as she turns and, with a faint smile, heads out the door. Ultra Magnus nods at Patchwork's exit, turning around to regard Hot Spot with his attention. Today has so far been a pretty much revolving door of visits and complaints, in and out all day long. Walking back over towards his desk, the City Commander scratches the back of his helm before leaning up against the desk edge. When he's fairly certain everyone is out of audio range, "So, have you been formally briefed on the Fairway incident?" Magnus will have to get Huffer to install some sort of door. Hot Spot's stoic brow furrows at Ultra Magnus's words, chipping into his stiff outer demeanor. "I'm afraid not, Ultra Magnus. I've been helping with some persistant wildfires in Australia, only just got back and refueled." He pauses, mulling over what possible trouble Fairway could have gotten himself into. "Enlighten me, what IS this Fairway incident?" Ultra Magnus groans semi-loudly, reaching behind him and rooting around in a file stack. "Apparently, before Fairway came to join the Autobots ... he had a less than admirable past." The large Autobot completely turns around when he can't find the file immediately to search through the stack. With a sort of 'Oh yeah' expression, Magnus goes around the desk to open up a file cabinet. Pulling out a two inch thick folder, he leans to hand it to Hot Spot. "You'll find a detailed background report by Red Alert, as well as up to date status reports on the recent incident by Rodimus and Defcon." After handing off the file, Ultra Magnus rests back into his seat. "To make a long story short, his past caught up with him. He was abducted by Death's Head as per orders from his former boss, taken to complete some mega-weapon. Autobot's intervened, and now he's back." The City Commander gives Hot Spot a moment to glance at the reports before continuing. Hot Spot takes the files, but he doesn't read it over just yet. "I'll keep this for review later on, if that's alright. Shady dealings in his past. Hump. Would've been good of him to have filled us in BEFORE the bounty hunters came looking for him. What do you think of it all? Is he still potentially a liability, to himself or the Autobots?" "Well, for the most part he's been apologetic about the occurence. I feel as though we are somewhat responsible for not looking into it at an earlier date." Magnus notes, grabbing the glass and taking another large gulp of the ener-coffee. Clearing his throat, he continues. "As of right now, I don't see him a liability to the faction. I've had the chance to have a intricate and personal discussion regarding the matter, and from what I can tell ... his past won't be an issue again." Craning his neck to the side, the City Commander continues. "However, I've assigned him to the graveyard shift in the Medical Bay for the next four cycles ... of course, that'd be in addition to any discipline you deem appropriate." "I'll review the reports in depth, and have a little talk with Fairway myself." Hot Spot replies, idly thumbing through the lengthy documents. "I think he's been punished enough by having his past dredged up, this clearly wasn't a very pleasant ordeal for him to go through. But I DO want to get into the core of it, and see for myself WHY he did the things he'd done, and why he never brought it up sooner. We could have protected him from both the ormer boss AND the bounty hunter and prevented the entire situation." "Agreed, it was a problem that could have been easily prevented if given the opportunity of being fore-warned." Magnus gruffs, picking up another stack of files and browsing through them haphazardly. "Please take it easy on the lad though, he's been through quite a lot in such a short amount of time." Relaxing back, the Autobot takes another drink from the glass. "Do you have any engineers or construction specialists available for work at the moment?" "It's its constuction you want, then Grapple is your mech." Hot Spot replies, after mulling the question over. "We've got more techinicians, of course, but they mostly focus on repairs or weapons. Hoist is also more than fair when it comes to building, but Grapple is a true artist with an i-beam." "Hrm, I'll keep you posted as I get more information. The only thing I know is that Rodimus put in a request for specialists ... specifically construction and engineers." Ultra Magnus sighs, escorting Hot Spot out of the office. Turning back to his desk, the Autobot's second in command just eyes his stack of paperwork.